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I didn't say Dixon was "the reason" Reagan became a conservative. I said Dixon is a conservative town keeping the flame of Reaganism alive today. You, on the other hand, continue to insist Reagan became conservative thanks to living with the Hollyweird community for years. It ain't so. Just like the 1960s, most of Hollyweird is liberal with a handful of conservatives living among them.

I credit Reagan's switch to his work at General Electric, being introduced to Goldwater, and his second wife Nancy being a proud conservative Republican.

I DID credit Nancy's conservative Republicanism because her family were staunch Illinois conservatives (from nearby Galesburg, also a very conservative town) noted that the Davis family has ALWAYS been staunch conservatives, and that Nancy DID influence Ronnie in moving to the right. So I suppose indirectly, downstate Illinois did effect his outlook on life, but certainly it's not "the reason" Reagan became a conservative leader. (Read Reagan's bio though and he says his Illinois upbringing was a very positive effect in his life) And yes I think Bel-air has softened her conservatism (not an anti-southern California attack as you claim it is, just an anti-Bel air crowd remake. For example, if she lived in Thousand Oaks she'd be among good conservatives in southern California) Bel Air is far removed from salt-of-the-earth traditional American towns.

No need to insult Dixon to get your point across that Reagan became a Republican leader while in California. And Calcowgirl is correct that it's possible Reagan would have never been elected if he had stayed in Illinois and tried to run against the Chicago machine. We Illinoisans all know, and appreciate the efforts of those Californians. I've already said there are plenty of conservative Republicans in California who helped Reagan rise to fame -- just not many in the places he lived in!